BY ELAINE STIEB
Lake Orion Review Editor
An identity and a vision, that’s what folks in Gingellville are saying they want to see for the small community that’s currently acting as a barrier from the hustle and bustle of the big shopping centers to the south of them on Baldwin Road.
Approximately 80 neighbors gathered at the Gingellville Community Church on Jan. 20 to give input on the possible future of Gingellville.
Members of a study committee, who have been meeting since October, told the group it has the power to control the destiny of Gingellville.
Committee member John Steimel, who’s also a member of the Orion Township Planning Commission, wanted to share Gingellville’s history. He did admit his investigations have uncovered some contradictions so he encouraged people to do their own history study.
‘Possibly the Gingellville area was some spur of the Saginaw Indian Trail,? he said. ‘A branch supposedly crossed by Judah Lake.?
The first settlers appeared in the early 1800s, attracted by a lumber mill near Mill Lake. Some early settlers in the area were Frank Gregory, Freeman Brown, John Newman and John and Charlotte Proper.
The main road, Steammill Road, by 1840 was the viable route from Detroit to Lapeer.
gas station and grocery store on Baldwin Road. In 1954, the brothers opened Gingell Brothers Hardware.
Harold and Francis did much to help keep the community alive, donating land for a church, ball diamonds, school, fire hall and library.
Committee members told the group they feel a new sense of community growing; new residents are looking for a hamlet experience.
During a public Orion Township vision session several years ago, there appeared to be a lot on interest in Gingellville’s future. Talk centered around residential land use, transportation, non-residential land use, nature/historic resources.
People said they wanted to preserve the village center; have it a walkable community; have mixed retail development (no strip mall feel); preserve natural resources, including adding park land; and to take care of traffic on Baldwin Road.
According to Beth Brock, a planner working for the township, the township’s Master Plan has a village center criteria which covers an area north of Judah to Maybee Road.
This mixed use area would allow commercial development to be only 300 feet deep, prevent a big box store (anything over 5,000 square feet), calls for using some Planned Unit Development zoning; buildings would be close to the street, uniform signage and landscaping.
‘We’re here to work on defining the details,? committee member Susan Dorris told the interested residents just before they broke into small groups to talk about their wants and needs for Gingellville.
Much of the discussion centered on Baldwin Road. People agreed they don’t want another M-24 — traffic should flow, but not at high speeds — and they weren’t enthusiastic about widening the road to five lanes.
Committee heard suggestions from their groups that included having a Gingellville museum; putting on some type of festival; constructing a Baldwin Road bypass; have a community gathering center; developing a park in the southeast portion of the area; not having retail stores parallel to Baldwin; installing street lights, brick pavers and sidewalks, constructing a pedestrian bridge over Baldwin.
‘This is the last area where a gateway (into Orion Township) can be made. M-24 isn’t,? Dorris said. ‘You don’t know where you’re leaving Auburn Hills and coming into Orion Township.
Dorris describes drawing up a set of design guidelines for Gingellville as ‘connecting all the dots.?
‘We need to draw up a set of plans that says Gingellville is going to look like this,? she added.
Some people felt the fronts of the new athletic club and remodeled hardware store didn’t have the look that residents want for the community.
‘Developers are deciding the look. People want control (over that),? Dorris said.
Participants in the informal group discussions were asked to fill out a survey indicating what type of businesses they would like to see in Gingellville.
To find out more information on the Gingellville committee and/or the survey go to: http://groups.msn.com/Gingellville or email: Gingellville@groups.msn.com.